Container



Novi25,1941. G, ERB 2,263,573

* Filed No v. 5, 1938 INVENTOR AT RNE oi the tearing strip.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 UNITED STAT 1.=: s*- PATENT OFFICE con'rams'n George 0. Erb, Forest Hills, N. Y., assighor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1938, Serial No. 239,126 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-54) The present invention relates to containers or cans of the tearing strip character and has particular reference to a hinge member formed from a portion of the side seam of the can body and used for hingedly connecting the can body to a reclosure cover produced An object of the invention is the provision in necting the can "body with the reclosure cover produced by removal of the tearing strip, whereby removal a tearing strip can, of a hinge member for These lock and lap portions are overlapped and interf6lded and preferably soldered to form a side seam 23 (Fig. l) for the can after the blank is rounded up into body shape. This is a usual body construction.

The flange edges I 8 of the blank are bent outwardly to provide end flanges after the blank is formed into the body I 2 and it is these flanges which are interfolded with in the hinge member is an. integral part of the can body and is obtained a section of the body wall located at one end of the tearing strip and in the side seam of the body and within the '15 confines of the usual body outline, thereby pro- Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description,

- which, taken in connection with the accom- Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the upper portion of the can illustrated in Fig. 1 and showing the can in partially opened condition;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but at right angles thereto showing the can further opened;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary sections taken substantially along the lines 44 and 5--5 in the respective Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a fiat blank mm which the body of the can is made, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the can body blank after certain forming operations have been performed on it.

' ducing an. efliciei1t hinge" without augmenting the cost of manufacture or adding to the cost of material of the body blank.

by a suitable key similar flanges on the closure members that produce the end seams The body I 2 adjacent its upper edge is provided with a pair of spaced and parallel score lines 21 (Figs. 1, 6 and 7) whih ex'te1id entirely around the body. These score lines'-alt-one end terminate adjacent the body side' se'a1n23, terminating short of and in spaced relation*to the side seam edge I 9 (at the right in Figi 6). At their opposite ends they ter'niinate in a-tongue,

* 28 which in the finished can extends beyond the side seam and lies flat against the-outer"surface of the body wall. The score linesthusset oil a tearing strip 29 which may be readilyremoved 3| and in the well known manner.

Removal of the tearing strip 29 as shown in Figs. 2,' 3 and 5 produces a removable reclosure cover 32 which includes the top member I 3 and thatpqrtion of the body I2 disposed above the tearing strip and which is secured to the top member by the upper end seam This portion. of the cover extends down forming a flange 33.

A hinge member formed integrally with the body I 2 is provided for the removable cover 32. For this purpose the body blank I! is cut through along a line of severance 36 (Fig. which is parallel with and spaced inwardly from the side seam edge I 9 at the right of the figure. This line of severance extends from the upper flange edge I 8 of the blank down adjacent the terminal ends of the score lines 21 and stops at the lower As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing illustrates a cylindrical sheet metal container I I (Fig. 1) which includes a body mam-3 tudinal or flange edges I8 and transverse or side seam edges I9. The side seam edges l9 are notched and slit in the usual manner to provide lock seam portions 2| and lap seam portions 22.

score line, thus cutting across both score lines.

Below the lower score line the blank is slit along a short line of severance 31 which extends inwardly from and at right angles to the side seam edge l9. This line of silt terminates in line with the lower end of the out 36 but is spaced away therefrom. Thus the cut and slits 36, set 011 a hinge portion 38 which comes out of the upper end of the side seam lap section 22 at the right of the blank (Fig. 6) and which is integrally connected to the body adjacent the side seam by a connecting portion 39.

This hinge portion 38 is iolded over (toward the left in Fig. 6) and laid down against the inside of the body as shown in Fig. '7 where it extends across the end of the tearing strip 29. The hinge portion is thus integrally connected to the body below the tearing strip. Its upper free end is still at the upper flange edge I 8 and is incorporated and securely held in the upper end seam I 5 when the latter is formed.

When the tearing strip 29 is removed in the opening of the can, the reclosure cover 32 is produced and such a cover is connected to the can body by the hinge member 38, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. The cover may thus be used as a hinged reclosure for the can.

Provision is made for seating the hinged reclosure cover on the can when the cover functions as a reclosure. For this purpose a collar or band 4| of sheet metal is disposed inside the can body adjacent to and back 012 the tearing strip The lower edge 01' the collar is preferably provided with an edge curl 42 which is anchored in a bead 43 formed in the body side wall, this construction firmly holding the collar in place.

are assembled thus providing what is commonly known in the art as a double step cover. After removal of the tearing strip, the resulting reclosure cover may be moved on its hinge connection to bring it into place in the collar, this providing the reclosure feature. The collar then serves as a friction base for the flange 33 of the cover 32.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal container, comprising a body having a side seam, and an end closure member secured to said body by an end seam, said body being provided with score lines setting of! a tearing strip extending entirely around the body adjacent said end closure member, said body also having a hinge portion thereof partially cut out of its side seam above and below said tearing strip, said hinge portion being folded inwardly along a line substantially parallel to said side seam and over said tearing strip and against the adjacent body wall and having its free end where it extends above the tearing strip, secured in said end seam, thereby providing a hinge connecting the body with a reclosure cover produced from the part of said container above the tearing strip when said tearing strip is removed.

2. A sheet metal container, comprising a body having a side seam, an annular collar disposed in said body, and a double step end member secured to said body by an end seam, said body being provided with score lines setting oil a tearing strip extending entirely therearound adjacent said end closure member, said body also having a hinge portion thereof partially out out of its side seam above and below said tearing strip, said hinge portion being folded inwardly along line substantially parallel to said side seam and over said tearing strip and against said body wall and having its free end where it extends above the tearing strip secured in said end seam, thereby providing a hinge connecting the body with a reclosure cover pro-- duced from the part or said container above the tearing strip when said tearing strip is removed, said hinged reclosure cover utilizing said collar as a friction base when the reclosure cover is in closed position on the container.

GEORGE C. EBB. 

